The Tyndale Society Journal No. 46 Winter 2015/2016 About the Tyndale Society Registered UK Charity Number 1020405 Founded by Professor David Daniell in 1995, five hundred and one years after Tyndale’s birth. The Society’s aim is to spread knowledge of William Tyndale’s work and influence, and to pursue study of the man who gave us our English Bible. Membership Benefits • 2 issues of the Tyndale Society Journal a year • Many social events, lectures and conferences • Exclusive behind-the-scenes historical tours • Access to a worldwide community of experts • 50% discount on Reformation. • 25% advertising discount in the Journal For further information visit: www.tyndale.org or see inside the back cover of this edition of the Tyndale Society Journal. Trustees Mary Clow; Dr Paul Coones; Charlotte Dewhurst; Rochelle Givoni; David Green; Dr Guido Latré; Jill Maslen; Revd Dr Simon Oliver; Dr Barry T. Ryan; Jennifer Sheldon; Patrick Whitten. Patrons His Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury; Rt. Rev. and Rt. Hon. Lord Carey of Clifton; Lord Neill of Bladen QC; Prof. Sir Christopher Zeeman, former Principal, Hertford College, Oxford; Mr David Zeidberg. Advisory Board Sir Anthony Kenny; Anthony Smith, Emeritus President, Magdalen College; Penelope Lively; Philip Howard; Dr. Anne O’Donnell, Catholic University of America; Professor John Day, St Olaf ’s College, Minnesota; Professor Peter Auksi, University of W. Ontario; Dr David Norton, Victoria University, Wellington; Gillian Graham, Emeritus Hon. Secretary. Other Tyndale Society Publications Reformation Editor: Dr Mark Rankin James Madison University, 921 Madison Drive, MSC 1801 Harrisonburg VA 22807, USA email: [email protected] Commenced Publication 1996 • 2 issues a year • ISSN:1357 - 4175 Contents The Tyndale Society Journal ♦ No.46 Winter 2015/2016 Editorial 5 Features Ian Mortimer Tyndale's Legacy in English History 11 Mary Clow ‘Erasmus Manuscript saved for the Nation’ 32 Reports Eunice Burton 9th International Tyndale Conference & Brian Buxton Oxford, 1-4 October, 2015 33 Dominic Hewlett Bodleian exhibition – Tyndale’s Linguistic Legacy 42 Marie-Claire Phélippeau To My Tyndale Friends 44 Valerie Offord A Room with a View 46 Nicholas Sanderson Conference Impressions 50 Ann Manley Protheroe Music of Tyndale’s Time (Concert notes) 51 Brian Buxton Guildhall Library London, 21 May, 2015 52 Jill Maslen British Library, Conservation Centre 54 Reviews Ralph Werrell Translating Resurrection 56 Ralph Werrell English Evangelicals 61 How I Met William Tyndale Robin Browne 65 Society Notes 66 Obituary John Blatchly 67 Membership/Subscription Form – UK, EU & ROW 69 Membership/Subscription Form – USA & Canada 70 Key Contacts 63 Please note that neither the Tyndale Society nor the Editors of this Journal necessarily share the views expressed by contributors. Copyright of all material remains with the contributors. Journal commenced publication 1995 • 2 issues a year • ISSN: 1357-4167 Cover illustrations by Paul Jackson • Cover design by Paul Barron Graphics Design & Print: Dave Steele, SouthTownDigital.com Editor for Tyndale Society Journal No.46: Neil Langdon Inglis We invite your contributions for the next Journal by 15 May 2016 please (see p. 10 ) –––––––––––––––––––– ♦ –––––––––––––––––––– Especially Welcome... contributions for: ‘How I Met William Tyndale’ 4 Editorial Neil Langdon Inglis Editor - TSJ No. 46 Greetings everyone! In May 2015, I traveled to Hanover, Maryland, a town near Baltimore Airport, to attend a seminar on UFOs and the screening of a documentary on the life of UFO abductee Travis Walton (I journey far and wide to report on events of interest to my readers). But the major development of concern to Tyndalians that weekend last Spring had nothing to do with little green men. Rather, I watched my first episode of “Wolf Hall” in my hotel room. Keith Michell (who played Henry VIII in “The Six Wives of Henry VIII”) passed away in November 2015. This was a blow to me as I loved the serial and had been particularly fond of Wolf Morris’s interpretation of the part of Thomas Cromwell. How could anybody replicate Morris’s special blend of creepiness and magnetism? You can imagine how I approached “Wolf Hall” with trepidation. I need not have worried. Morris’s performance is theatrical, stagier, whereas Mark Rylance’s take on the role is more naturalistic, more method-oriented. There is room for both interpretations, and Cromwell fans are not forced to display treasonable disloyalty in choosing between them. The very best news of all of course is that “Wolf Hall” dares to mention the name of William Tyndale and speaks it proudly. One character refers to “the Bible in English” with tears in his eyes. WT is no footnote here! Whatever you think of Hilary Mantel’s works, the name recognition they have provided for William Tyndale is greatly to be welcomed. Here is a perfect illustration of how far the world of Tyndale has evolved during the lifetime of our Society. Keith Michell (l) as Henry VIII and Wolf Morris (r) as Thomas Cromwell in BBC's 1970 drama series: “The Six Wives of Henry VIII” 5 Detail from Petrus Alamire's 1516 illustrated score catalogued as MS Royal.8.g.vii in the British Library. ©British Library. 6 At the Tyndale Society, we watch out for developments in the Tyndale period that span all walks of life, be they theological, cultural, architectural, or historical. The fast-moving discoveries in this field are of abiding interest to Tyndalians. For example, King Henry’s briefing book on the legal aspects of his divorce proceedings was discovered recently. And, in a musical vein, I found the following item in the Daily Telegraph1: Choral music not heard since the time of Henry VIII has been brought to life for the first time in 500 years. The manuscript, a book of 34 religious songs, was given to Henry VIII as a lavish gift from a French diplomat in his early reign.Containing songs referencing Henry and his then-bride Catherine of Aragon, it is considered the most “luxurious” surviving diplomatic gift of its kind. It remained in the Royal Collection after the king’s death, and was later given to the nation by George II and has remained in the vaults of the British Library ever since. Given to Henry VIII around 1516, it was tailor-made for the Royal couple and produced in the workshop of Petrus Alamire, a scribe and musician who went on to spy for the king. The elaborately illuminated book, catalogued in the British Library as “Royal 8 G VII”, has now been turned into 34 pieces of music, sung by choir Alamire. Dr David Skinner, a Cambridge fellow, has examined the manuscript to bring the music back to life with ensemble choir featuring nine singers and period instruments. Dr Skinner said the whole score “has certainly never been performed live in its entirety before”, adding: “I think that our version is pretty close to what might have been heard in around 1520.” The collection has been recorded, and is available for sale under the title: The Spy’s Choirbook. –––––––––––––––––––– ♦ –––––––––––––––––––– 7 Tyndale is on the march these days, and can be spotted in a variety of media settings around the globe. I particularly appreciated the following comment from a Catholic author.2 So it is with us. When Christ truly indwells in our hearts, we cannot help but communicate our joy to others. The 16th-century English scholar and biblical translator William Tyndale vividly described the human response to the Word: “Evangelion (that we call gospel) is a Greek word, and signifieth good, merry, glad and joyful tidings, that maketh a man’s heart glad, and maketh him sing, dance, and leap for joy.” As Christmas draws near, let us sing, dance and skip like lambs as we share with others the good news of Christ’s coming. But in finding these web stories for our readers’ delectation, we must be on our guard. The news reports brought to my attention by Google Alerts contain choice garblings. Society Chairman Mary Clow responded vigorously to an article in the Yorkshire Evening Post describing an exhibition that included: 'a life-size model of High Priest and Bible translator William Tyndale’ . To: The Editor, Yorkshire Evening Post Dear Sir, For heaven’s sake tell me that ‘William Tyndale, High Priest’ (Yorkshire Evening Post, 12 October) is a typo? William Tyndale single- handedly translated the Bible for the first time from the original languages of Greek (NT) and Hebrew (OT) into English. For this he was accused of heresy and burned at the stake in 1536. His phrases are part of everyday speech - ‘eat, drink and be merry’, ‘like a thief in the night’, ‘filthy lucre’ - and his work forms 80% of the King James Bible. Like all scholars in early Tudor times he was a priest, but ‘High Priest’ NO. You should respect a great English hero and get it right! Yours faithfully Mary Clow, Chairman, The Tyndale Society It turned out that the exhibition included ancient Egyptian artefacts, and the ‘High Priest’ lacked a comma… Dispelling misconceptions thus remains a key responsibility for Tyndalians. We all have our part to play—why not make this a resolution for the New Year? 8 Over Thanksgiving week I visited a dear friend in Cowley Road, Oxford. Due to personal issues, I was two months too late for the 2015 William Tyndale conference. Fortunately, my wonderful colleagues in the Society have stepped up and done a handsome service in describing this watershed event, rich in fine papers and scholarship. Needless to say, this issue is very much a team effort, and we could not have pulled the edition together without the hard work of our stalwart members on the ground. Watch out for papers and reports from Ian Mortimer, Brian Buxton, Eunice Burton, and Valerie Offord among others.